I started writing The Antiquarian, my first novel, in April 2024. It all started by the question I am most frequently asked when I speak at events or run workshops; "Have you ever written a book yourself?" In April last year I thought I should give it a try, turns out I really enjoy writing. I have written the second book in the Barton & Brooks series and have ideas for a number of other stories.

With experience spanning more than 40 years as graphic designer and consultant, I have worked design book covers, art direction, corporate product branding and identity, website design and development, social networking and strategy combined with extensive experience in design for book publishing. My publishing design projects to date are over 4000 book covers and more than 250 complete books and still counting.

I started my first business when I was 14 drawing peoples' houses and then started designing professionally at 15 producing covers for a national puzzle magazine while still at school. For me nothing beats the feeling of walking into a store and being able to see your own work on the shelf, that thrill has never gone away.

In my career I started work at work in-house at Sphere Books and as a senior designer and studio manager at a publishing design agency before going freelance with my own company 2H Design.

I have been a speaker on the Goldman Sachs 10k small business programme also York St John University Business School speaking about design and communication, with an emphasis on the decisions we all make when setting up a business. I have also been a key speaker at a number of UK literary festivals, talking about my career in publishing and the world of independent publishing and running workshops. In 2016 to 2018 I ran creativity workshops at TEDxVitoriaGasteiz in Spain and in 2022 I gave a lecture on book cover design as part of Topsham Museum's lecture series.

You can read my publishing blog  How to Design a Book and Other Stories at TheBigIdeasCollective website